Explosive container for gun perforators



June 8, 1954 J-Au T EXPLOSIVE CONTAINER FOR GUN PERFORATORS med March14. 1949 m M r r 5m f MW T. f M

. 1 N H w M Y B Patented June 8, 1954 EXPLOSIVE CONTAINER FOR' GUNPERFORATORS John Leslie Austin, Fort Worth, Tex., assignor to Jet-GunsCo., Inc., Fort Worth, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application March14, 1949, Serial No. 81,371

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to gun perforators of the type in which areemployed shaped charges for perforating oil well casing and producingformations, and it has for its primary object the provision of aspecially designed container for encasing the charges and afiording anarrangement for expediting the loading of the gun and providing apositive alignment of the charges therein preparatory to positioning thesame. in a well casing, thus aflording an effective as well aseconomical device for such operations.

A prime objectrof the invention resides in the provision of a simple andinexpensive unitary container for shaped charges which can readily beinstalled in the gun barrel by suitable handling tools, such as tongs,and positively secured opposite each port against displacement ordisalignment, and thus prevent damage to the gun as well as to expeditethe loading operations.

An important object of the invention is that of providing an expendablecontainer for the explosive which is capable of being extended along itsaxis after being properly located in the gun, to rigidly secure the samein operative position by the use of a suitable tool inserted through theport opposite which the charge is located, each unit being insertedsuccessively and secured progressively along the barrel.

Broadly, the invention contemplates the provision of a novel containerfor the now conventional type of hollow or shaped charges whereby a guncan be utilized many times without damage and in this manner minimizethe cost of such perforating operations and at once provide a moreefiective apparatus for performing the same.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects willbecome manifest as the description proceeds taken in connection with theappended drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a perforating gun,portions of which are shown cut away illustrating the inventioninstalled therein.

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view through the gun barrel, onlines 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the spiral arrangement of the ports andthe invention installed in each.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on lines 3-3 of Figure 4 ofone of the casing units, containing a shaped or hollow charge, andillustrating the cup threaded thereon.

Figure 4 is a perspective illustration of a container embodying theinvention, showing the polygonal flange formed with the cup for rotatingthe same. and

Figure 5 illustrates a typical installation of a perforating gun in awell casing, shown in longitudinal section, and illustrating theoperation of the unitary charges.

It has been stated'that the instant invention is primarily concernedwith the provision of a unitary container for the explosive charge bywhich the same can be inserted into a gun specially designed for suchloading, and embracing features of construction rendering it durable andcapable of repeated use since it can be reloaded after each shot.

. The tubular barrel [0 of the gun H has a pluralityof ports [2 spacedlongitudinally and circumferentially thereof in a spiral arrangement, asshown in Figure 2. The ports l2 are preferably arranged about the barrell 0 on spacings of degrees so that the charges can be directed radiallyinto the well formation [3 through the well casing M, as shown in Figure5. Opposite each port I2 is formed a circular recess IS in the innerwall of the barrel [0. Each port [2 has an annular recess [6 formedtherearound defining a shoulder l'l against which a disk I1 is pressedto provide a fluid-tight seal.

A cylindrical container l8 houses the shaped charge 19, as illustratedin Figure 3, and has a conical portion 20 formed on its closed end Acircular pin 2| is formed axially of the conical portion 20 and isadapted to engage the recesses 15 in the barrel l0 when the unit isinstalled. The opposite or open end of the container [8 has threads 22formed thereon to receive the spiral arrangement of internal bosses 23in the skirt portion of a cup 24 which provides a closure for thecontainer l8 and a means for rigidly securing the same in its operativeposition in the barrel ID.

The cup 24 has a polygonal flange 25 thereon, which has a lesserdiameter than the cup 24 and is capable of projecting into the ports l2,in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the assembly is installedin the gun H. In loading the gun, therefore, the units are prepared forinstallation by threading the cups 24 on the container [8. Each unit isarranged on a detonating fuse 26 which is passed through a sleeve 2'!arranged through a bore 28 extending transversely through each of thepins 2 I.

By manipulating the units with suitable tongs, or other device, each canbe inserted in the barrel l0 and located opposite its respective port 12by placing the pin 2| in the recess I5 and holding the assembly while awrench 29 is inserted through the port I2 into the socket defined by theflange 25 of the cup 24 to rotate the latter and thread the sameoutwardly against the wall of the barrel I 0, in the manner shown inFigure 1. Thus the unit can be rigidly supported in the gun bylongitudinally expanding the same so that it has a bearing at each end.The unit can be removed, if desired, by threading the cup 24 inwardly.The disk I1 is inserted into the annular recess l6, after the unit isinstalled, to

exclude well fluids.

The gun I l is suspended in the well by a coaxial cable 35 which isattached to a rope socket 3|, or other device, on the upper end of thegun II, and the detonating fuse 26 is connected to the cable 38 througha detonating train. The cable 30 is connected to a blasting device 32 atthe earths surface. The charges are detonated simultaneously through thefuse 26 which is arranged in intimate relationship with each chargethrough a small port 33 providing a communication between the bore 28and the interior of the container [8, as apparent in Figure 3.

Manifestly, the invention may be modified, from time to time, by personsskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and intent of theinvention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a perforating gun for oil well casing in combination, acylindrical barrel having a plurality of ports spaced spirallytherealong, a recess formed in said barrel opposite each of said ports,a container for a shaped charge adapted to be supported in said barreland transversely thereof opposite each of said ports, a portion of eachcontainer having a pin formed thereon engageable with said recesses, acap on each container opposite said pin and rotatably threaded thereon,and a polygonal flange on said cap extended into the ports opposite saidrecesses.

2. In a unitary charge container for oil casing perforating guns, incombination with a cylindrical barrel having a series of spaced portsarranged spirally therealong and a recess formed internally of saidbarrel opposite each port, a tubular container adapted to be arranged insaid barrel opposite each of said port, each said container having an.axial portion extending into one of said recesses to partially supportsaid container transversely of said barrel, a cup threadedly arranged oneach said container opposite said axial portion thereof formed withmeans for extending same into the ports opposite the said recesses whenthreaded outwardly to rigidly fix each said container in alignment withits respective port.

3. In a perforating gun for oil well casing, in combination with atubular barrel having a plurality of spirally arranged ports spacedtherealong, an explosive unit arranged in each port, each of said unitscomprising a container having a closed conical end and an open end andcontaining a shaped charge facing said open end, a cup threadedlyattached to the open end of each of said containers capable of extendingsaid units longitudinally transversely of said barrel and projectinginto each of said ports, a recess arranged in said barrel opposite eachport adapted to receive the closed conical end of each container, andmeans formed with each cup providing meanslfor threading the samelongitudinally of its said container to extend said cup into said ports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,169,671 Walker Aug. 15. 1939 2,266,345 Turechek Dec. 16,1941 2,281,870 Cole May 5, 1942 2,399,211 Davis Apr. 30, 1946 2,415,814I Davis Feb. 18, 1947 2,419,841 .Lampel et a1. Apr. 29, 1947 2,494,256 YMuskat et al Jan. 10, 1950

